According to the Nikkei Asian Review, demand for automotive dashboards and central information panels has grown significantly. In particular, the demand for panel sizes of central information displays has increased from 7 to 8 inches and is now over 10 inches. Demand for touch-enabled panels is also growing among the best-selling models, and panel makers are now also adding to the production of car heads-up displays.
In August this year, Japan Display began volume production of automotive panels using LTPS technology, the LTPS panel is better suited to meet the market demand for high-definition, better-designed panels and energy-saving features required for electric vehicles. Demand and prices are less volatile than demand for mobile devices and prices because once the specs are set, the car panel ships in a long-term supply pattern.
Due to fierce competition in the mobile market, more and more LCD panel makers are entering the automotive panel market. To this, Japan Display said: "In the past few years, as price competition intensified but customers attach more importance to quality and long-term record, there is still some barrier to entry . "
There are currently two types of automotive panels, general panels and custom panels on the market, a large number of general panels sold, but the price has stabilized, Japan Display to attack the custom panel.China government vigorously promote electric vehicles, so China Panel Factory But also actively invest in automotive panels, but Japan Display believes that the mass production mode of Chinese panel plants is not efficient at producing customized automotive panels.
Japan Display is also developing OLED panels and expects to ship samples in 2019 and mass production in 2021. OLEDs are expected to become the mainstream trend.Although the OLED is designed to be flexible, the LTPS panel can add other functions such as embedded touch Advantage, Japan Display will take both products to seize the car market opportunities.
As the estimated cost of investing OLED 200 billion yen in funds, the market rumors Japan Display will find partners to jointly produce OLED, and the Chinese panel makers BOE came forward to provide assistance, BOE has built an OLED factory in Chengdu, the next 2 to 3 years may Began to have an impact on market supply and demand.